{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-801","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10, § 10-801","heading":"Short title — Family Representation and Advocacy Act —","body":"Creation of Family Representation and Advocacy Program.\n\nA. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Family\n\nRepresentation and Advocacy Act”.\n\nB. As used in this act, “eligible organization” means an entity\n\nthat:\n\n1. Is organized as a not-for-profit corporation that is tax\n\nexempt pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) of subsection (c)\n\nof Section 501 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986,\n\nas amended;\n\n2. Has as its primary purpose the furnishing of legal\n\nassistance to eligible clients in civil matters;\n\n3. Renders legal services to eligible clients in pre- and post-\n\npetition deprived child proceedings; and\n\n4. Is incorporated pursuant to any applicable laws in this\n\nstate.\n\nC. There is hereby created within the Administrative Office of\n\nthe Courts the Family Representation and Advocacy Program. The\n\npurpose of the Family Representation and Advocacy Program shall be\n\nto ensure uniform and high quality legal representation for children\n\nand indigent parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians in\n\ndeprived child actions brought by the state pursuant to the\n\nprovisions of Section 1–1–101 et seq. of Title 10A of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes.\n\nD. From funds appropriated or otherwise available for the\n\npurpose of implementing the Family Representation and Advocacy Act,\n\nthe Administrative Office of the Court shall issue a request for\n\nproposals and contract with an eligible organization to administer\n\nthe Family Representation and Advocacy Program through the\n\nestablishment of a central office for the state. The contract shall\n\nbe the result of the request for proposals issued by the\n\nAdministrative Office of the Courts and submission of competitive\n\nbids by eligible organizations pursuant to the Oklahoma Central\n\nPurchasing Act.\n\nE. Through the activities of the central office, the Family\n\nRepresentation and Advocacy Program shall work cooperatively\n\nstatewide with judicial districts and attorneys by contracting with,\n\ntraining, compensating, and supporting legal counsel for the\n\nchildren, indigent parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians\n\nappointed by the court pursuant to Section 1-4-306 of Title 10A of\n\nthe Oklahoma Statutes. The Family Representation and Advocacy\n\nProgram shall have the responsibility to ensure that all parents,\n\nlegal guardians, and Indian custodians who are entitled to court-\n\nappointed counsel and all children are appointed counsel who have\n\nthe training, support, and access to resources to provide uniform\n\nand high quality legal representation. The central office shall not\n\nprovide direct legal representation to clients except in selected\n\nappeals. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the appointment\n\nof a guardian ad litem pursuant to Section 1-8-108 of Title 10A of\n\nthe Oklahoma Statutes.\n\nF. An executive director for the Family Representation and\n\nAdvocacy Program shall be employed by the eligible organization and\n\napproved by the Administrative Office of the Courts or any board\n\nestablished pursuant to subsection K of this section. The executive\n\ndirector shall have at least ten (10) years of experience as a\n\nlicensed attorney prior to appointment, be licensed to practice law\n\nin this state at the time of appointment and be familiar with the\n\nunique demands of representing children, parents, legal guardians,\n\nIndian custodians in deprived child cases in this state. The\n\nexecutive director shall serve full time and shall not engage in\n\nprivate practice of law outside of the Program. The executive\n\ndirector shall hire all staff including employees of the central\n\noffice, contract attorneys or other legal providers eligible for\n\nappointment pursuant to Section 1-4-306 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, and interdisciplinary contractors required to implement\n\nthe Family Representation and Advocacy Act. The executive director\n\nshall submit budget requests and shall report quarterly to the\ndirector shall hire all staff including employees of the central\n\noffice, contract attorneys or other legal providers eligible for\n\nappointment pursuant to Section 1-4-306 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, and interdisciplinary contractors required to implement\n\nthe Family Representation and Advocacy Act. The executive director\n\nshall submit budget requests and shall report quarterly to the\n\nAdministrative Office of the Courts or any board established\n\npursuant to subsection K of this section.\n\nG. The Family Representation and Advocacy Program shall have\n\nauthority to contract with any type of legal entity including but\n\nnot limited to law firms, legal services programs, Office of Public\n\nDefender, law school clinics, and individual attorneys as needed.\n\nThe Program shall have authority to contract with and compensate\n\nsocial workers, parent and youth advocates, and peer mentors to\n\nprovide interdisciplinary assistance to the attorneys representing\n\nchildren, indigent parents, legal guardians, Indian custodians in\n\nthe deprived child proceedings. The existing Offices of Public\n\nDefender shall continue to provide representation for children in\n\ndeprived child proceedings and continue to be funded as set forth in\n\nSection 138.4 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The Offices of\n\nthe Public Defender may elect to contract with the Family\n\nRepresentation and Advocacy Program for additional funds to provide\n\nadditional staff and resources in the representation of the\n\nchildren.\n\nH. The Family Representation and Advocacy Program shall ensure\n\nthat all counsel are members of the Oklahoma Bar Association in good\n\nstanding and are adequately trained. The Program shall provide\n\nuniform and high quality training in collaboration with the State of\n\nOklahoma Children’s Court Improvement Program, the Oklahoma Bar\n\nAssociation, local bar associations, and other relevant state and\n\nnational organizations to all attorneys who are appointed to\n\nrepresent children, parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians\n\nin deprived child proceedings. The Program shall contractually\n\nrequire and verify that the attorneys providing legal representation\n\nto children, indigent parents, legal guardians, and Indian\n\ncustodians comply with the Oklahoma Standards of Practice for\n\nAttorneys Representing Parents in Deprived Child Proceedings, the\n\nOklahoma Standards of Practice for Attorneys Representing Children\n\nin Deprived Child Proceedings, and caseload limits as developed and\n\napproved by the Uniform Representation of Children and Parents in\n\nCases Involving Abuse and Neglect Oversight Committee created by the\n\nOklahoma Supreme Court. The Family Representation and Advocacy\n\nProgram shall ensure that all interdisciplinary contractors are\n\nprovided with uniform and evidence-based training, resources, and\n\nsupport.\n\nI. The Family Representation and Advocacy Program shall ensure\n\nthat all areas of the state are equitably served and, based on the\n\nappropriations available, shall prioritize judicial districts where\n\nattorneys are unavailable for court appointments or are minimally\n\ncompensated. The Program shall determine where additional attorneys\n\nare needed within the state’s judicial districts and shall develop\n\nadditional resources.\n\nJ. The Family Representation and Advocacy Program shall ensure\n\nthat counsel and interdisciplinary contractors are adequately\n\ncompensated based on available appropriations and other funding\n\nreceived and are provided access to resources in order to deliver\n\nhigh quality legal representation. The Program is authorized to\n\nannually review the performance of the attorneys, interdisciplinary\n\ncontractors, and entities with which the eligible organization\n\ncontracts, with the goal of helping them achieve and maintain high-\n\nquality performance. The Program shall ensure that review measures\n\npreserve client confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.\nhigh quality legal representation. The Program is authorized to\n\nannually review the performance of the attorneys, interdisciplinary\n\ncontractors, and entities with which the eligible organization\n\ncontracts, with the goal of helping them achieve and maintain high-\n\nquality performance. The Program shall ensure that review measures\n\npreserve client confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.\n\nK. The Oklahoma Supreme Court may direct the Administrative\n\nOffice of the Courts to establish an advisory board to exercise\n\noversight over the Family Representation and Advocacy Program and\n\nthe selected eligible organization, and to make recommendations and\n\ntake such actions as deemed necessary to ensure proper\n\nadministration of the Program.","path":["OK Code","Title 10"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os10.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"1c7c31764ad310d04a34810a482674c479e510b0dc4ca32e8939672c3df434d1","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-80","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-802"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}